Artificial-eye mount



March 1931- L J. SCHLITZEIR ET AL 1,793,762

ARTIFI G IAL EYE MOUNT Filed Aug. 13, 1929 33 M Age/m4 Patented Mar 31, 1931 UNITED STATES 13m J. SCHLITZER, OF NEW YORK, N. 2.,

AND JOHN L. LJ ZT OMY, 01' GLEN RIDGE,

NEW JERSEY ARTIFICIAL-EYE MOUNT Application filed August 13, 1929. Serial No. 385,563.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in figure toys and more particularly to a novel artificial eye mount. The principal object of the invention is to pro- 5 vide an eye mount for figure toys which is capable of being assembled in the head of a figure toy in a much less length of time than is required to place eyes of this type in toys at present, thus saving labor and expenses incidental thereto.

Another important object of the invention is to provide an improved eye mount which will eliminate the constant breaking of the eye and heads which now occurs, due mostly to the impractical construction of the present types of eye mounts, which necessitates considerable inconvenience and expert skill to properly assemble.

Still another object of importance is to provide an artificial eye mount having means whereby the eye balls will be firmly maintained in position, yet allowing an even movement in operation.

Still another object of importance is to 5 provide a mount of the character mentioned which will remain positioned within the figure to head by reason of its spring tendency. A flirther important object of the inven tion is to provide an eye mount assembly including piercing members which will not puncture the figure toy head due to llmitlng means on the said assembl These and numerous ot er important objects and advantages of the invention will he come more apparent to the reader after considering the invention as described and claimed hereinafter.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 represents a fragmentary vertical sectional view through a figure toy head and the assembled eye mount therein.

Figure 2 represents a fragmentary inside elevation of the head showing the mount assembled therein.

Figure 3 represents a side elevation of the spring bar.

Figure 4 represents a side elevation of the shaft saddle.

Figure 5 represents a perspective view of the tensioning plate for the shaft.

Figure 6 represents a horizontal sectional view, taken substantially on the line 6-6 of Figure 2. t

Figure 7 represents a. fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 7-7 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings wherein like numerals designate like parts, it will be seen that the numeral 5 denotes a figure toy head of the usual construction and which is provided with the usual eye opening and socket for receiving artificial eyes of the movable type. The inner side of the forehead portion of the toy head is provided with the shoulder 6, which gradually merges off in the manner clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2. This shoulder 6 is provided with a depending lug 7, the purpose of which will be fully explained hereinafter. The inner side of the neck portion of the doll head is also provided with a shoulder 8, which merges off to the normal thickness of the neck wall.

The present invention includes a support, such as that shown in Figure 3, which is in the form of an elongated bar of some suitable spring metal, the bar being denoted by the numeral 9. Atthe intermediacy of the bar,

the longitudinal edge portions thereof are notched at opposed points as at'lO, while the upper end portion of thebar is cut away at its longitudinal edge portion to provide a reduced neck 11. A head 12 isprovided at the upper end of the bar and the longitudinal edge portions of the bar at this point are cut off to provide the converging edges 13--13.

This head .12 is provided with a recess 14, and the presence of this recess determines the pointed furcations 15-15. From the neck portion 11 of the bar, a corrugation or elongated bulge 16 extendstoWa-rd the lower end of the bar and also tapers in thisdirection to the point 17. Between the point 17 and the shoulder 18, the bar curves laterally as clearly disclosed in Figure 1. so that the bar may accommodate the chin'portion of the toy head. The lower end portion of the bar is provided with a pair of depending prongs 19--19 extending from the shoulder portion 18 and depending from the shoulder 18 and from a point between the prongs 19-19 is maintain its position against accidental displacement. v

In Figure 4 a saddle is shown for supporting the shaft 21 and this saddle comprises a plate 26, which has the vertical edge portions thereof notched at opposite points as at 2f7 27. The :upper portion of the plate is reduced to provide a longitudinally extending tongue 28, which tongue is bent .to provide an offset 29, at its intermediac-y. The intermediacy of the shaft 21 is loosely sup- ;ported withinthe olfset 2 9 of the said saddle. The plate '26 engages against the bar 9 so {that the edge portions of the notches 2727 and 10. 10.of the plate 26 andbar-9 coincide, so that the metallic strap may have its end-portion bent behind the .bar 9 and across {the plate 26 and tensioning member shown in Figure 5, so that the seating thereof within the notches 27 2.7 and 10-10 will prevent longitudinal movement off the said parts with respect to each other The tensioning member shown in Figure ;5 comprises a plate 31, which is reduced at its upper end portion {and bifurcated to provide the pair of legs 3232. This tenSiQni-ng member is ofspring metal and the legs 32.i32 are suitably spaced apart to receive the .ofiset portion 29 .of the saddle and are roach provided at its intermediacy with :an otiset33. These offsets 33 :bear against the'shaft 21 in the. manner clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2 so as to .tension'ally urge .the eye balls ,22, toward the soqkets .of the figure toy head. The plate 31 is notched at 32 to receive-strap 80. A V- shaped frame 3% (clearly shown in Figures '1 and 2) has one end secured to one crank 23., of theshaft'21, as at 35., while :its opposite .end, although being seouredalso ;to ith e op'posite crank 23, is provided with anxextension '36,which.extensioncurves inwardly and then longitudinally of the frame and substantially on the longitudinal axis thereof. The weight generally referred to by the numeral 3'7 is provided on the bight portion 38 of the frame at and comprises an elongated piece of steel plate or in fact, some other suitable metahdenoted by the numeral 39 in the drawiings. This piece of metal is bent upon itself for olampedengagement against the Tbight portion ofthe frame3t, and is provided with registering .openings in itsopposed portion for receiving ,the resilient plug v 4O. This the tap rs and itsenlarged end P 19 protrudes in the direction of the shoulder 8 of the figure toy head. 7

When the aforementioned parts are properly assembled on the bar '9, the bar and its supported mechanism is inserted into the head of the figure toy and the pointed furcations 115 15 are pressed against theshoulder 6 so that the recess 14 receives the depending lug 7 on said shoulder. By forcing the bar 9 in the direction of the shoulder, the said furcations will bite into the shoulder to s a limited extent. By now flexing the bar 9 toward'the face of the toy and engaging the prongs 1919 against the upward face of the "shoulder 8, the i'e'lease of the bar 9 will result in the driving of these prongs into the shoulder by reason of the primary lfiexed nature of the bar and its tensional reaction. o The foregoingimanipulations are all carriec'l out-ma-nually and by graspingthe tongue 20, in contradistinction .to the conventional methods of inserting these eye mount assemblieshy tool or by machine. i V

Obviously, when the toy head is tilted, the pendulum consisting of the frame 34:, weight 3 7, and shaft 21, will swing to shift the ,position of the eye balls 22, with respect ,to the eye sockets of the head 5. To limit this closing motion of the eye balls, the extension 36 of the frame will abut theupper portion of the shoulder 6, while on the return stroke of the pendulum, that is, when theeyesare being opened, the resilient plug 40 will strike against the shoulder 8 to absorbshock and to prevent flickering of the eye balls .due .to the rebounds of the pendulum.

, It .istohe understood that duringthemanufacture of this novel eyemount assembly, various changes in the shape, size, and ma.- tcr-ials maybe resorted to, withontdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention, as claimed hereinafter. v

Having thus described the invention, what isclaimedis: 1 I V ;1. In a figure toy, in combination, a hollow figure toy head, a pair of vertically spaced protuberances on the inner side-ofthe head, and aspring' bar afor movably supporting a pair of artificial eyes and fortel siol ed interposition between said protuberances, saidhar :being provided-with means to rigidity ,a portion thereof, said means comprising 'a longitudinally extending corrugation .on :the bar at which'portion the eyes are mounted, while the remaining portion of the 'bar remain springy to permit flexing thereof.

2. In a figure toy, in combination, a'hol-low figure toy "head, a pair ofvertically spaced protuberances onthe inner side of the *head, and'a spring bar for movably supporting a pairof artificial .eyes and for tensionedinterposition between said protuberanoes, said bar Joeing provided with means 110 rig-idify a-,por-

ti n eof, sa d m a ssomp i ing a t ans versely curved and longitudinally extending bulge. Y

3. An optical mount for figure toys comprising a main bar, an eye ball supporting shaft swingably mounted on the bar, a pendulum for said shaft, said pendulum comprising a substantially V-shaped frame, the leg portions of the frame being secured to the shaft and a weight at the apex of said frame, sai weight comprising a piece of relatively heavy metal bent upon itself and having the said apex of the frame clamped between the 0pposed portions thereof, said opposed portions being provided with registering openings, and a resilient plug for disposition through said opening and in a manner where by it may protrude beyond one side of the Weight for absorbing the shock of the same when it engages the figure toy head.

4. A support for toy eyes comprising an elongated bar of spring material, a longitudinally extending rigidifying member at one end of the bar and at which portion toy eyes are mounted, the opposite end portion of the bar being capable of being flexed to permit the tensional interposition of the bar between the pair of spaced abutments.

5. A support for toy eyes comprising an elongated bar of sprin material, a longitudinally extending rigidifying member at one end of the bar and at which portion toy eyes are mounted, the opposite end portion of the bar being capable of being flexed to permit the tensional interposition of the bar between the pair of spaced abutments, and a ton ue at the last mentioned end portion of the bar to permit manual actuation thereof.

In testimony whereof they affix their signatures.

LEO J. SCHLITZER. JOHN L. LITOMY. 

